Common'tater
by lizteroid
Summary: Based upon an idea Bardaholic and I developed together. This may end up being a collection of oneshots. Rated T.


_Author's Note:_ This is based upon an idea developed by Bardaholic and I. Enjoy it folks. There could be more!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything. Rights belong to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro and TNT.

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><p>Attending college was something of sheer delight for Maura Isles, as she had always been a very conscientious and studious child. And, when she had been accepted onto the program for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Biotechnology at Boston Cambridge University, Maura was overjoyed and couldn't wait to begin her studies there, studying towards something she really wanted to do, Science. Science was her first love, after all.<p>

Maura could not wait to begin her studies at BCU, that was, until she arrived there.

Upon arrival, Maura saw frat boys running around with beer kegs, sorting out the start of year parties. The frat boys were rushing about, chest bumping each other while the girls were no better, walking around in...

'_What was that_?' Maura thought as a blonde and a redhead passed by her. Maura didn't really know in what direction to look, as girls were passing by wearing pretty much nothing, and the guys were being general neanderthals. Sighing, she made her way to her dorm, passing through the crowds of immature neanderthals who each turned their heads to focus on the 'new chick' who certainly had a flair for fashion.

"Excuse me!" Maura chastised one of the guys who backed into her.

"Woah, woah..." he jeered a little, looking her over as he scooped the American football under his arm, smirking.

"Are you going to provide an apology?" she raised a brow to him.

"Now you. You should come to the ABC party tonight." he smirked, nodding slowly as he, once again, checked her out, not in a subtle way either.

Maura stood rooted to the spot. She's been invited to a party? She looked to the guy standing before he, furrowing her brows as she tried to make sense of why he would invite her to a party when he didn't even know her, as yet. She tilted her head a little and questioned him, "ABC party?"

"Yeah..." he produced a flyer from his basketball shorts' pocket and handed it to her, "Just take that, you need to be on the list, but just say you have an invite." he smirked again, winking to her before throwing the ball over to one of his buddies, leaving Maura alone with the flyer.

Looking down to it, she blinked rapidly before she glanced back up, periscoping around for the guy who'd given her the flyer. Alas, he was nowhere to be seen. So, Maura continued her walk to her new dorm, receiving some glances from both male and female. She offered some polite smiles in the direction of the glances but those faded once she saw the group of girls begin to whisper amongst one another as she passed them by.

The pointing and the whispering, Maura was used to. But, as she passed them, Maura sighed. She had wanted things to be different now that she was attending college, there would be no name calling, she hoped. At least there wouldn't be any taunting name calling; Maura the Bore-a...she thought of instantly.

Continuing on her way, Maura reached the steps to the building and climbed them, not once giving a glance behind herself. She smiled, opening her itinerary and folder, looking around the hallway as she tried to locate her dorm. Maura glanced around, frowning softly as she couldn't find it. turning side-on, Maura caught sight of the stairs, curving behind a wall.

Climbing the three flights of stairs, Maura finally reached her dorm, slightly breathless but she concluded that was due to sheer apprehension and adrenaline. She removed the key from the packed and turned it in the lock, opening the door. She smiled, all of her things were already inside her room. Unsorted, but nonetheless there. Moving through the clutter, Maura made her way to the desk, it was oak, very sturdy. She set down the flyer and glanced out of the window, seeing a courtyard, which she concluded was to the rear of the building, south facing, as the sun was already hitting her side of the building.

Her first self-assigned task was to find something for the ABC party. Maura turfed out her trunk and smiled as she opened it, catching glimpses of the expensive fabrics and textures that had came all the way from Paris and Milan. Fingering through the folded items of clothing, Maura stopped at a simple yet elegant dress, empire line, a powder blue with a small embellishment under the bust line. She nodded to herself as she got it out and set it on the bed, looking down to it.

After dressing herself and styling her hair, Maura made her way down into the courtyard, where everything seemed to be happening. The guys with the beer kegs were there and the girls with the...

"What are you wearing?" one of them asked her.

"It's a Reem Acra." Maura responded, not understanding the tone of the girls' comment.

"Looks like clothing to me..." the girl the added.

"Well, yes..." Maura tilted her head and furrowed her brows in confusion before she looked over the girl.

"I suggest you go change, before that thing is ripped off of you." she told Maura, before walking away to get herself some more punch, and to flirt with the guy who had given Maura the flyer earlier. The girl left Maura standing there awkwardly, looking around before she swallowed and sighed, turning to head back to her dorm when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Maura jumped a little in shock and looked to the person, standing before her.

"I wouldn't listen to her. All those bimbos only like this party so they can wear marginally less than usual."

"Oh?" Maura tilted her head slightly, "What...is this party?"

"The ABC party. Nobody explained that, huh?" he chuckled a little before looking down at his own attire; a smart shirt and dress trousers, "It's the Anything But Clothes party. Guys back at my dorm just told me to put on some party clothes." he shrugged and then looked down to the material in his hand, "I turned up in this, they had a laugh then handed me this..." he shook it a little and then looked back to Maura, who now, was watching him intently. Quickly, he switched the material over to his other hand, and offered her his hand, "I'm Garrett, by the way."

She nodded, shaking his hand, "I'm afraid my fellow suite mates aren't nearly as forthcoming as yours." she smiled to him, "I'm Maura."

"Hey, are you...going to change?" he asked her.

"I'm unsure, I'd quite like to study, I didn't manage to complete my assigned reading before I arrived."

"You're actually going to do that?" he raised a brow.

"You're not?"

Garrett chuckled a little and watched her before nodding, "I'll...get round to it, eventually." He smiled to her before clearing his throat, "Hey, if you're going to come back to the party, you should take this. I can find something else...paper plates perhaps..." he chuckled again and handed her the material.

"Are you sure?" she asked him, tilting her head and smiling gently as she took the material.

He gave her a nod and smiled once again, "Certain."

Nodding, Maura turned and began to walk back to her dorm before Garrett called out to her, "Hey Maura! Make sure you come back! If I'm going to look foolish, I'd like someone to look foolish with!" he chuckled and turned around to head back to his own room, to find something to wear.

She had taken her time to get dressed, so much so that Garrett had had enough time to drink three cups of punch and was rounding the table for his forth when she returned. Fashioning the material she had to work with was somewhat a feat of engineering, but Maura managed to pull through with it, and she was most certainly happy with what she had achieved.

"Woah, okay, I'm glad I gave you the sack now..." he told her as she stood awkwardly in front of him, feeling a little self conscious.

"Well, aside from the fact that Hessian is rather irritable for skin, the material is really quite durable." she nodded, "I had to use my scalpel in order to graze the wefts."

"Well, you did an awesome job..." he nodded appreciatively as he looked over her, "But don't be shy, come on! It's a party, Maura...get out there!" he chuckled, nudging her towards the 'dance floor' where a group of neanderthals were taking body shots and keg stands. Garrett made sure to look over her body, checking out her curves, she really had done a great job with the potato sack he'd given her.

Garrett noticed Maura had split the sack in two, she's made an off-shoulder tube top and he couldn't quite figure out the bottom half, it looked like a skirt, but from behind, she looked like she was wearing some kind of hot pants. He raised his brow and shook his head, looking to the cup in his hand, obviously the punch was some strong stuff.

"I...I think I'll pass..." she frowned a little as she looked back to him, staring at his cup, "I'd rather just stand with you." she told him shyly, eyes wide as she watched one of the 'dudes' rush off toward the nearest garbage can to vomit. _And the night is only early_...thought Maura, as she rolled her eyes, watching him lean over the can.


End file.
